Latch



DBY. Y

LATCH.

' Patented Nov. 16, 1886.

(No Modem Non ` is formed or provided with a notch orrecess,a,

UNIIED STATESY L AAT SPECIFICATION 'forming part o Letters Pa tent No.352,679, dated Ido-gember 16 1886.

Application tiled September 29, 1886. Serial No. 214.856. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WAsHINGToN DEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Altoona, in the'county of Blair and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latche's, ofwhich the following is a specitication.

My invention relates to improvements in latches for cupboards andthelike'; and it consists of the peculiar combination and novelconstruction and arrangement of the various parts forI service,substantially as hereinafter fully described, and partieularlypointedout in the claim.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved latch ofsimple and durable construction,.which shall be free from springs andautomatically engage the lug on the door-plate when said door is closed,and also act to prevent the door of the cupboard or other article ordevice upon which it is applied from accidentally swinging open.

rlhe latch of my invention can be very easily operated to open the doorby one hand of the operator, and it can be very easily and readilyapplied to the cupboard by an unskilledperson.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a catch embodying myimprovements, Figure lis a side elevation of so much of a door as isnecessary for a proper understanding of my invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical sectional view on the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isadetached perspective view of the parts of my invention; and Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section through the latch.

' Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures, A designates theinclosing-casing of a cupboard or other device to which my improvedlatch is applied, and B designates the swinging door of the saidcupboard or other device. The inner side of the casing A and the upperand lower sides of the recess are inclined or curved in oppositedirections to form an enlarged rear end to the recess or notch, therebyproviding an enlarged space for the rear end of a swinging locking-plateto operate therein very freely, as more fully described presently.

My improved latch comprises a swinging locking-plate, D, which ispivoted at an intermediate point of its length to overbalance one endthereof, a fiat keeper-plate, E, to which the locking-plate is pivoted,so that the latter plate is carried and supported by the keeper,

and a door-plate, G, having a lug,f, projectingl outwardly from one sidethereof, and adapted to take or fit in rear of asimilar shoulder on oneend ofthe overloalanced lockingplate, as will be more fully hereinafterdescribed. The keeper-plate E is secured to the inner side ofthedoor-casing by screws or other suitable fastening devices, so thatitlies flush with the said casing and entirely conceals the notch orrecess t from view, and the lockingplate is pivoted on the innerconcealed side of the keeper, as at g, and is arranged in the recess aof the casing. The rear edge of the keeper is proj ectedi-n rear of thedoor-casing, and is curve-d, as shown, and in this curved edge thekeeper is provided with an upper and lower shoulder, `e c', theshoulders being preferably formed by a slotor recess, e,`in the 4rearedge of th'e keeper,terminating within the upper and lower edgesthereof. rlhe rear end ofthe swinging locking plate also extends orprojects in rear of the door-casing, and the rear extremity of the saidplate has a rightangled flange or nib, d, thereon, which tits in theslot or recess e of the keeper andl is ar-y ranged in thepath of andadapted to come in contact with the terminal shoulders e thereof, sothat the vertical swinging movement of the said rear end of thelocking-plate is limited in both directions.

The front end of the keeper lies flush with the front side ofthedoor-casing,whi1e the front end of the locking-plate projects beyond thesaid front side of the keeper and the door-casing. The front extendedend of the lockingplate is provided with an integral shoulder,d, againstwhich the lug f of the door-plate is adapted to impinge, the front sideof the shoul-V der d of the lockingplate being beveled or inclined, sothat the lug on the door-plate' will ride very easily and freely overthe same in order to automatically engage the plates and prevent thedoor from swinging open.

The locking-plate is pivoted near its front end, so that the rear end isheavier than the front end, and the lip on the rear end is inconeledshoulder d of the lockingplate into the path of the lugf ofthedoor-plate.

This being the construction of my invention,

the operation thereof is as follows: To close the door and lock the sameit is merely forced or closed to, so that the underside ofthe lugfwillimpinge upon the beveled side of the lug d', and the free end oftheswinging locking-plateis thereby depressed to adapt the shoulder dthereof to be engaged with the lug of the doorplate, thereby preventingthe door from opening. When the outer end of the locking-plate isdepressed by thelugf riding on the beveled lug thereof, the rear end ofthe said lockingplate is elevated to adapt the lug of the doorplate toclear the shoulder on the lockingplate, and the upward movement of therear end ofthe locking-plateis limited by the flange d thereof coming incontact with the upper terminal shoulder ofthe notched keeper-plate,when the locking-plate is violently struck by the door-plate in closingthe door with unnecessary force. When the lugfof the door-plate clearsthe beveled shoulder d/ in latching the door, the rear end of thelocking-plate falls or drops by gravity until the flange or rib dthereof comes inV contact with the lower terminal shoulder of thekeeper, whereby the front end of thelocking-plate will again beelevated, so that the lugf of the door-plate cannot bei come detachedfrom the beveled shoulder d without first depressing the front end ofthe locking-plate, 'by hand.

To open the door,the rst and second fingers of the hand grasp the knobof the door and the thumb depresses the outer end of the lock-ying-plate, so that the shoulder d' thereof isV forced beneath the planeof the shoulder f, when the door canswing open very freely and withouthinderance from the locking plate.

After the door is opened and the locking-plate released, the rear endthereof falls or drops, and thereby elevates the front end into positionagain in the path of the shoulder f on the door-plate to automaticallyengage the said door and locking plates when the door is closed again.`l

My invention can alsobe applied to gates and other objects, and, ifdesired, the inner end of the locking-plate can be provided with asuitable knob or finger-piece for its convenient operation when used asa gate-latch.

My invention is very simple, strong, and durable in construction,effective and reliable in operation, and cheap and inexpensive ofmanufacture. It can be easily applied by an unskilled person andoperated by one hand to open the door. Y

lHaving thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by` Letters Patent, is'- In alatch, the combination of akeeper having the shoulders e on its rearedge, a swinging locking-plate pivoted to the keeper at an intermediatepointof its length and having a. flange or rib at its rear end, whichprojects therefrom into the path of the shoulders e', and is adapted tocome in contact with the said shoulders to limit the movement of theplate, and the door-platehaving the projecting lug adapted to ride upona beveled shoulder at the front end of the locking-plate,J substantiallyas described,` for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim theforegoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

A. F. Hass, JNO. HURD.

